


feathered➳conversation

by sonshineandshowers



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Coming Out, Fluff, Gen, Gender Identity, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24990865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonshineandshowers/pseuds/sonshineandshowers
Summary: Malcolm's sick, and Sunshine wants to have a word with him.For PST Pride Bingo Coming Out.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Sunshine the Bird
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24
Collections: Prodigal Son Pride Bingo





	feathered➳conversation

Malcolm tossed and turned in bed, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. No matter which way he shifted, he remained too hot and too cold at the same time, trapped in a hellish dichotomy. Blankets half-covered his stomach, half ran for the floor so they wouldn’t get drenched.

Sunshine kept chattering at him from her cage. He could pretend he wasn’t awake, try to get a little bit more rest, but she would see through the ruse and protest by throwing seeds at him later. Not up for a fight, he asked instead, “What is it, girl?”

She screeched back at him, piercing his ears with an obnoxious stake that split his brain and fuzzed his vision. Bringing his fingers up to the bridge of his nose, he realized he should probably take something to quell the pounding, but he wasn’t ready to move. He’d need to get up to take his meds anyway — he was fine to wait until then.

“Enough,” Sunshine replied, frustration ruffling off her feathers. “You never asked me my pronouns.”

He stilled in confusion, unaware he had committed such a gaffe. After putting so much focus on getting the response right for himself, he had failed to consider the same for his friend. “Okay,” he got out, his voice thick with apology and congestion. “What are they?”

“They/them,” their short response and rock of their head told him they were miffed.

Were there other things he needed to consider? What had he thought about himself? “Should I still call you Sunshine?”

 _Tweet_. “That is my name.”

“Anything else you want me to do differently?” After having already made such a big misstep, he wanted to do what he could to avoid a repeat.

They moved their head around, apparently considering every aspect of his behavior and relaxing their spine in response. “A bigger cage?” Their head moved to put their eye between the cage bars, and by that point, he knew they were teasing.

“Using your coming out as a way to get an upgrade?” he joked back, quirking his lips.

“I am my father’s kid.” They tapped their water dish, sending a metallic ding around the room to join the bass already thumping his skull.

“I’m dad now?” He’d never seen himself as dad material. The word alone was uncomfortable on his tongue, leaving behind a film he’d need to scrub away in the sink. What upgrade were they talking about anyway, his trip to boarding school to get him away from the city? A reprieve, sure, but —

“Yeah, old man. Get up — Gil’s here.”

Strong fingers reached across Malcolm’s forehead, brushing his hair away from his face. “You’re burning up, kid,” Gil said, keeping his fingers in place.

Where had Gil come from? “I’m sorry, Sunshine,” Malcolm said, watching as they scavenged for a snack they couldn’t find.

“She’s fine — I’ll feed her,” Gil said, moving his hand around to the back of Malcolm’s neck.

“Them,” Malcolm corrected. “They would like us to use they/them.”

“Are you talking about yourself or the bird?” Gil looked at him, his eyes narrowed like he could decipher exactly what ailed him if he looked hard enough.

A light patter of seeds fell onto the floor. No one got away with calling Sunshine _the bird_. “Sunshine. They were talking with me before you got here.”

“I was just upstairs — “

“Can you help me get these Twizzlers off my wrists?” Malcolm said, tugging at the ties that held him. “I need a shower.”

Gil looked at him like he had four heads, which judging by the number of hands Malcolm saw when he looked down, might be accurate. Pulling him loose, Gil helped him to his feet.

“My feet are Jell-O,” Malcolm commented, swaying into Gil. Thankfully his friend was used to catching him, and neither of them took a spill.

“Gonna make that shower a bath,” Gil said.

“Need upstairs for that. I can stand.” And if he couldn’t, he’d figure it out. Eventually.

Gil shot him a look of disbelief while he practically dragged him toward the bathroom.

“Okay, I’ll sit on the tile,” Malcolm amended with a floppy wave of his hand. “It’s fine.”

Gil managed to lead him through the bathroom doorway. “Thermometer?”

“I got rid of it the last time you wanted to take me to the doctor,” Malcolm said, attempting to lean and reach for the handle to turn on the shower, but Gil held him back.

“That was yesterday.” Gil gripped both of his shoulders and met his eyes, but Malcolm turned away to heave a hacking cough into his elbow.

When Malcolm was able to breathe again, he leaned against Gil’s shoulder instead of looking at him. “Can you get Sunshine?” He took in a deep breath and fought back another cough. “They like to shower with me.”

Gil rubbed his back, which made him feel like he might be able to make it through this shower thing on his feet. “Kid — “

“I try to let them in a couple times a week, and I can’t remember the last time.” Sunshine would be mad about another thing, more throwing seeds, more mess, more things he was in the wrong for, more —

“Isn’t it too hot?” Gil’s fingers were on the back of his neck again as if to tell him he was too warm too. Malcolm didn’t feel so good — maybe he should get the shower over with as fast as possible so he could lay down again.

“I keep it room temperature when they’re with me. Just crack the door — they’ll come in.” Malcolm pushed away, leaning against the wall as he removed his sweat-soaked t-shirt. “I’ve got this. Thank you.”

Gil took the cue to leave and left the door open behind him, offering, “Holler if you need me. No cracked watermelons, Bright.”

It took more effort than he cared to admit to disrobe and get under the spray. The tile danced around him, spinning in a glittering circle zipping through the space. The disco a bit too much, he sat down, letting the cool rain pour over him in a meager attempt to reduce his temperature.

Closing his eyes a moment, he welcomed the soothing rivulets running down his chest and knees, hoping they would pull some of the fever from his body. At splashing on his toes, he said, “Hey, Sunshine.”

“Bath time!” they cheered, flapping their wings and spraying more water onto his feet.

“I’m glad you’re happy, kid,” he said, scratching his chest where a tickle brewed underneath.

“You’re the kid. I’m me,” they corrected. Playing in the water, it was unclear who was getting wetter — them or him.

So he was dad, and they called themselves kid, but he couldn’t call them kid? Was this he and Gil in reverse? “Okay, me.” Sunshine nuzzled his foot. “I don’t want you to get sick, friend.”

“I’m fine. Take care of you so you can feed me,” they teased, pulling at a hair on his foot.

He pet their head, and they flew off to sit on top of the glass, waiting for him to finish soaping up and emerge. “What are we eating today, Sunshine?” he asked as he rinsed.

“Apples,” they deadpanned and cackled at their own joke.

“So I’m a little sick,” he conceded, washing off the last of the soap.

“Listen to Gil and don’t kick it,” they said firmly, peering down at him.

“Noted.”

“I’d miss you,” they added.

“I’d miss you too…” He shut the water off, thinking of an endearing term at the same time, yet forgoing it instead. “Sunshine. You know the whole loft is yours, but we can go out for a bigger cage for you to sleep in as soon as I can walk.”

“You at least better put some shorts on before you pass out,” they chided as he swayed on his feet trying to dry himself with a towel.

He pulled his shorts on and sat on the floor, leaving Sunshine to go find Gil. His fine, feathered friend had everything under control, even though he didn’t. Vaguely aware of Gil lifting him and carrying him back to bed, he fell asleep to Sunshine pecking at the end of his covers and looking after him.

* * *

_fin_


End file.
